Our De"fault" Setting

In class this week we read a commencement speech delivered to the 2005 graduates of Kenyon College by David Foster Wallace. I really enjoyed this speech mainly because he made me think about our everyday thoughts and actions without being too serious and boring. I thought it was interesting how he brought about the idea of a "default setting". According to Wallace, all humans have a default setting which is being "deeply and literally self-centered and to see and interpret everything through this lens of self". Ironically default has the word "fault" in it, which can be defined as a defect or flaw; an imperfection. After reading his speech and class discussion, I thought that maybe he wanted to point out that our default setting is one of society's major faults. Most of us go through each day not thinking about others and what is going on in their lives. David Foster Wallace points out that THIS is our default setting. We subconsciously think about ourselves, how everything affects us, and don't pay attention to others' issues and problems. I know that I have probably done this a countless number of times, however, I believe that this is our fault. I agree with Wallace in that we have to think differently, think consciously, think open-mindedly. When we do this, we begin to eliminate our fault, our default setting.